"The Seven Checkpoints for Youth Leaders" is more than a book; it is a ministry plan. It goes far beyond the "how to" of youth ministry and provides youth ministers, youth works, and parents with the content that students need to equip them for 'life beyond youth group."

The material in this book and the companion book "The Seven Checkpoints Student Journal" reveals what Stanley calls "the irreducible minimum"--the essential principles upon which an entire youth ministry can be built. Stanley and Hall offer some unorthodox but very sensible approaches to planning and maintaining a youth group over a long period of time with a specific goal in mind. The book outlines a strategy for effectively teaching students over the course of their time in school, and this new updated edition is what every leader needs to keep up with the ever-changing challenges students face.

Stanley and Hall identify seven "checkpoints" that are the most important and critical issues facing teens: